"Noon"
"Raen! Hey, Raen!" Waving his hand at a young man with a short ponytail of dark, blue-black hair, Valtier hurried down the main road of the City of Ancients. The young man turned at the sound of his voice, one eyebrow raised.
"Good day, Valtier. You're up early this morning."
"Am I?" Moving closer to Raen, he smiled and put his hand on the other sentinel's shoulder. "Listen, Raen, I have a proposition for you. What would it take to make you take my shift at the Dome today?" Valtier's smile widened, and Raen laughed as he smacked Valtier's hand away from his shoulder.
"A million gold pieces."
"I'll buy you a drink."
"Come on, Valtier! I already have one shift today, I don't need to make my life longer with a second shift. And what's wrong with you, anyway? You never miss your shift." Giving him a strange look, Raen folded his arms while Valtier tried to look as nonchalant as possible.
"I've just got something to do. Now are you going to take my shift or not? I'll pay you…a reasonable amount."
"It's a woman, isn't it?" Suddenly grinning, Raen tried to meet Valtier's elusive gaze. Laughing, Raen shook his head. "It is a woman! You are missing your shift to go meet some woman?"
"Who said anything about a woman?" Defensively, Valtier looked away and Raen smirked a little.
"A man, then."
"Are you going to take the shift or not?"
"Sure, I'll take it. But you give me half your pay and buy me dinner. Is that a deal?" Raen held out his hand, and Valtier shook it.
"Deal." Taking a small pouch from somewhere on his person, Valtier tossed it to Raen and smiled as his replacement tucked his newfound money into his armor. Looking into the sky, Valtier thought about how excited he was to see Lileina. Raen patted his shoulder in a rather familiar way, as he turned to go to the Dome.
"She must be quite a woman."
"She's worth twice that much."
"Really? Then I should have negotiated better." Grinning, Raen went on his way, waving as he did to his fellow sentinel. However, Valtier was already gone, hurrying off to meet Lileina.
* * *
While Valtier was bargaining his way out of guard duty, Lileina was sitting on a small bench at the end of Karal's main street waiting for him with two small children crawling on her lap. She had offered to watch Mrs. Terrana's children while she visited the doctor, since she had nothing else to do other than wait. Actually, she didn't mind the girls sliding down her lap, examining her boots and pulling on her braids. To be honest, she thought it was kind of nice.
"Lady Lily? How come you gots that thing on your head?" Alicia pointed to Lileina's circlet and blinked as Lileina smiled.
"Because it makes me look pretty."
"But…" Alicia looked as if she was thinking very hard about something, and reached up to touch the jewels. "You're already pretty." This made Lileina laugh, and Marie looked up from the ground where she had pulled up the hem of Lileina's skirt to take another peek at her boots. The concept of violet leather was interesting to small children, but she pulled herself away and crawled up onto Lileina's lap to pull on one of her long braids.
"Not too hard now," cautioned Lileina as the girls leaned on her.
"You smell good," Alicia said, still looking at the circlet.
"What sweet girls you are," Lileina said, putting her arms around them with a smile. She didn't notice that someone was walking up to her.
"Lileina…?" A familiar voice spoke her name, and she looked up with wide blue eyes to see Valtier standing before her. His eyes went to the children, then back to Lileina's smiling face, looking a little confused. "Um…these children…"
"Lady Lily! Thank you so much for watching my girls." Before she could speak, Mrs. Terrana was already hurrying over from the doctor's. She picked her children up from Lileina's lap, smiling brightly. "I'm so grateful."
"It's no trouble. How are you feeling?" Slowly standing, Lileina looked over the woman, who gently rubbed her stomach.
"Looks like I'm expecting another."
"Congratulations. I will be saying prayers for you, and bring you some healthy herbs from the valley." Lileina smiled brightly at Mrs. Terrana, who nodded and thanked her before taking the hands of the girls and walking off towards their home. Turning to Valtier, Lileina bit her lip. "I'm sorry to have made you wait. I was asked to watch the girls while she was at the doctor and…"
"Don't worry about it. I just wondered where the children came from all of a sudden." They stood before the bench for a moment, smiling at one another in the morning sunlight. It was still early, since they had agreed to meet before noon in Karal so they could spend the entire day together. Only about a week had passed since they first met, but the desire to spend more and more time together was universal to all couples, so they found themselves in the city where Lileina had spent her time for months before she even knew he existed. "Well," Valtier said, breaking the silence, "Where would you like to go first?"
"The marketplace is this way," she said, pulling him down the street. "There are so many interesting things that the humans sell, just wait until you see them all!" Nodding, Valtier offered his arm as he smiled at the excitement in her eyes, and Lileina slipped her arm through his as they walked towards the noisy market that was almost in the center of Karal. As they walked, it did not escape Valtier's notice that some of the men in the village were looking at him and murmuring, and if he listened closely he could hear that some of what they were saying involved Lileina. A sudden burst of pride spread through his chest as he looked over at Lileina, who was completely unaware that anything but the marketplace and her escort existed. One of her small fingers was pointed towards the bookseller's cart, and Valtier followed her gaze to the rows of books on his table. "Here, this is my favorite place!"
"Ah, Lady Lily!" The bookseller looked just as pleased to see her as she did to see him, and he looked up at Valtier. "I see you have brought a new friend with you today!"
"Yes, this is my…friend, Valtier." She was looking over the books, and the bookseller bowed a little to Valtier.
"Good day to you, Lord…ah…Val…?" Humans tended to have trouble with dragon names, as Lileina had explained before, which is why they called her Lily. As the bookseller attempted to pronounce his name, Valtier smiled good-naturedly at him.
"Val is fine," he said, glancing over at Lileina.
"Then, a good day to you, Lord Val. Our dear Lady Lily never mentioned having such a handsome young friend before." This caused Lileina to turn bright pink and clear her throat repeatedly, and Valtier tried not to laugh at her shyness.
"Do…do you have any rare books for me today?"
"Nothing as rare as before, I'm afraid. But I did find this book in an old estate that I thought you might enjoy. Have a look." He handed her an old looking tome that Lileina took great care to open and inspect. While she did, the bookseller turned his attention to Valtier. "So, how long have you and Lady Lily been seeing one another?" Before he had a chance to answer, an extremely red-faced Lileina thrust the book out at the bookseller.
"H-how much for this book?"
"For everyone else, I would ask five gold pieces. But for you, Lady Lily, three is more than sufficient." Almost before the man even finished speaking, Valtier took the book from Lileina's hand and smiled.
"I'll take it." Handing the book to the old man, Valtier reached into his pocket. "Can you wrap this for me, please?"
"Valtier!" Lileina turned scarlet as the old man began to wrap the book up and Valtier handed him five gold pieces. Her entreaty seemed to have no effect on the transaction, and she gave Valtier a look, which he pretended not to see.
"There you are, my good man."
"My lord, that's too much. As I said, three gold pieces is more than enough…"
"Nonsense," Valtier said, taking the wrapped book from the man and slipping it into his vest. "Nothing's too good for her. And besides, I'm 'everyone else,' aren't I?" Grinning as they started on their way, Valtier waved to the old man. "We'll visit you again soon, won't we, Lileina?"
"Ah…" Speechless and looking as if she might turn into a cardinal, Lileina stared up at Valtier. In response, he took a quick look over the books on the cart.
"Is there another you like?"
"N-no, I…" Unsure of what she was supposed to do, Lileina motioned over to the other side of the street. "Let's…go look over there?"
"All right. Good day to you, sir," Valtier said, walking with the still silent Lileina to the other side of the marketplace. The bookseller, who liked to think of Lileina as one of his daughters, shook his head with a smile. She really wasn't used to being treated so well by a man.
Meanwhile, Valtier and Lileina had moved on to looking at the carts on the other side of the street. Among the ones they stopped at was a jewelry seller's cart that she sometimes stopped by. Lileina was quite fond of the brightly colored stones that were set in the different metals suitable for decorating clothes and hair, but she had never thought to buy any for herself. Her jewels came from the elders at the sanctuary, and of course there was the one pale gem Drassi had given her. She had "accidentally" dropped that one into a lake on one of her flights to Karal. The gems the humans prized weren't as deeply colored as the ones from the Dragon Lands, but she still found them pretty. Now, as she picked up a brooch with a light purple stone that she thought matched her sash, Valtier leaned over her shoulder and looked at it as well.
"That's a nice piece. Do you like that one?"
"What?" Startled, Lileina hurriedly put down the brooch and shook her head rapidly. "N-no, I was just looking…" Smiling mischievously, Valtier picked it back up and examined it.
"I think it would look nice on your dress." Holding the brooch up to the light revealed that there were no impurities in the stone, and Valtier nodded. "The stone is very lovely. Almost like a Taria stone, don't you think?" A Taria stone was a rare gem from the Kataaht mountains, one that only dragons had any real access to, as they were protected by Dimos Dragons, and Lileina tried to find her voice.
"Valtier, no…"
"How much?" His golden eyes fixed on the merchant, who looked thoughtfully at Lileina's red face.
"For a friend of Lady Lily, ten gold pieces."
"It's worth twice that," Valtier said, handing the man twenty pieces of gold and flipping the brooch in the air like a coin. It sparkled as it turned over and over in the air, and Valtier caught it smoothly. "Beautiful." Presenting it to Lileina, he bowed. "For you, my dear."
"Valtier!" Grabbing his arm, Lileina dragged him out of the marketplace in a very uncharacteristic hurry and stopped in an empty street near the square. Laughing a little, Valtier rubbed his arm where her hand had clenched it.
"I forgot Gold Dragons were so strong," he commented, grinning at her. Lileina put a hand on her hip and held out the brooch.
"What do you propose I do with this?"
"Affix it to your dress." Taking the brooch from her open hand, Valtier pinned it into the center of her white and blue dress' neckline carefully and smiled at her as he stepped back. "Like so."
"That's not…" Closing her eyes as she rubbed her forehead, Lileina looked back up at Valtier and shook her head. "I can't accept this."
"Why?" Looking at her questioningly, he wondered what he had done wrong. "Does it not please you?"
"That's not…I mean…" Trying to arrange her thoughts, Lileina sighed. "It pleases me very much." Touching his arm gently as she moved closer to him, she smiled. "You please me very much. But how would I explain it back home?" Moving her hand from his arm to his cheek, she smiled sadly. "No matter how strongly I may feel about you, if the elders found out about this…they would find it wrong."
"So don't tell them I gave it to you." Taking her hand, Valtier's smile returned in the hopes of encouraging her to do the same. "Keep it near your heart, as I keep you, and think of me whenever you see it. It can be our secret. All they have to know is that you got it from the human village." His softly spoken words seemed to leave her no room to argue, and Lileina sighed.
"Valtier…how do you convince me to do these things?"
"It is my natural charm."
"Yes, quite."
* * *
"This is human food?" In one of Karal's restaurants, Valtier inspected a piece of the roast beef Lileina had ordered for them, and she nodded. "Huh. It looks just like dragon food."
"It is the same thing. I will admit that I too was surprised at first, though I never realized what arrogant beings we are until I ate something here in Karal. To think that we would actually believe that we eat so differently from humans…" Taking a bite, Lileina smiled. "But it is good."
"Yes. The food is good," Valtier agreed, taking a drink of the wine that had been brought with their lunch. "But the wine is rather weak."
"Mm." Watching him eat, Lileina touched the brooch that was pinned to her dress. He said he had given it to her because he thought it would look nice, but was there something more to it that he wasn't saying? Was this a subtle way of him saying that she belonged to him? And if it was, shouldn't she be more offended? As it was, she felt as if her entire inside had been filled with a swarm of overly excited butterflies.
"Is something wrong?" Noticing that Lileina had stopped eating for a moment, Valtier looked over at her. "Are you okay?" Hurriedly, Lileina shook her head.
"I'm fine!" Brightly smiling, she went back to eating her food even though she had lost some of her appetite for it. Somewhere on the edge of her hearing, Valtier was explaining how he had almost forgotten that they were supposed to meet in Karal, and Lileina watched his face carefully. He didn't seem like he had any ulterior motive. In fact, all she could sense from him was…
"Are you going to finish that?"
…happiness. Pushing her plate towards him, Lileina smiled and let any fears that were still residing in her head fall away.
"It's all yours."
Once they had finished eating, Lileina thought it would be nice to walk to the forest and the field of flowers that bloomed in the valley. It didn't take them long to reach it, and Valtier lay back on the soft grass while Lileina stood a moment and looked over the field at something in the distance.
"I see why you love this world so much," Valtier said, looking into the sky as a few plump clouds lazed past. "It seems so peaceful."
"Yes," Lileina said softly as she sat down beside him on the hill where they had decided to take a rest. While he closed his eyes a moment, Lileina peeked over at him. He was so relaxed…and so handsome with his long hair and strong arms. She could almost imagine his arms holding her forever, just as he had a few days earlier. Lileina couldn't help thinking how nice it would be to feel his warmth surrounding her again, and…
"So when you said you were a miko, I assume you meant the Fire Dragon Lord?" His eyes still closed, Valtier smiled a little. Lileina hurriedly snapped out of her thoughts and looked into the sky.
"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm a miko at the great Sanctuary." Touching the toes of her boots as she spoke, Lileina smiled a little. "That's where I live as well. I've been there ever since I was very young…maybe even since I was hatched. The elders raised me, and I actually became a miko mostly because it was expected of me…and I wanted to please everyone, I suppose."
"You don't enjoy it?" Opening his eyes, Valtier looked up at her pensive face and Lileina looked thoughtful.
"Sometimes. Like when I would rather be reading a book than attending council. But it is an honor to serve the Fire Dragon Lord, and I usually do my duty without complaining." Continuing to pull at her boots, Lileina tried to smile a little as she knew Valtier was watching her. He knew Gold Dragons were filled with an incredible sense of duty, and it showed in the way that she fidgeted every time she spoke of her duty in a less than complimentary way. "But…sometimes, it's hard. And not just because I'd rather be somewhere else… Around the sanctuary, so many men don't speak to me because they think my being quiet means that I'm uppity." Her face turned a little wistful as she spoke, and Valtier reached towards her.
"How anyone could think you are uppity is beyond me," he said, and Lileina smiled gratefully at him.
"I'd like to have a mate one day," she said softly. "But the only male who will even look at me in that way is an awful creature called Drassi, a guard, that I hate. I would rather remain a maiden my whole life than be mate to him." Shaking her head with distaste at the very thought, she looked over at Valtier. "Why is it that so many soldiers are like that?" Gazing up at Lileina, Valtier smiled as he put his arms behind his head.
"Am I like that?"
"You?"
"I'm a sentinel. A guard of the Great Sacred Dome in the City of Ancients. When I told you I was a soldier before, I was telling the truth." It was quiet again, and Lileina smiled gently over at him.
"You aren't anything like Drassi. Maybe that's why…" Her voice faltered a little and fell silent, and Valtier looked up at her.
"Why what?" He noticed that Lileina was toying nervously with the brooch he had bought her, and reached over to take her hand.
"Why I like you so much," she said softly, turning away a little so that more of her back than her face was towards him. Valtier wondered if she had always been so shy. "You like me even though I'm a miko and a Gold Dragon…you even bought me a nice gift, even though you really shouldn't have done so."
"I liked you even before I knew you were a dragon or a miko." Sitting up, he put his arms around her from behind so that he was embracing her protectively against his chest. Her cheeks suddenly blazing, Lileina stiffened for a moment before relaxing and laying her head back against his chest and smiling a little. Part of her wondered what had brought on this sudden embrace, but the bigger part of her really didn't care too much. It was nice enough just to feel him near her once again.
"Yes…I suppose you did." Lileina enjoyed his warmth for a moment as she continued to think out loud. "A sentinel, hmm…I suppose that's why you're so strong."
"Strong? Not really." Leaning his head on hers, Valtier sounded thoughtful. "There are plenty of Ancient Dragons stronger than me, and all of the Dimos Dragons." As he brought his head closer to her cheek, Lileina could feel his warm breath on her skin. It made being close to him even nicer.
"You're very strong to me," she said softly, her heart beating faster. "And warm…and wonderful." Closing her eyes, Lileina listened to the rumblings his voice made inside his chest as he laughed.
"That's good, because your opinion is the only one that matters to me." Valtier closed his eyes, and they listened to the breeze for a few long moments as it blew their hair around. Holding her tighter, Valtier sighed. "Ah, Lileina. You make me feel so at peace. What is this power you have over me?"
"No power," she replied softly, moving her arms up from her lap to embrace his. "Only a great affection."
"Only affection? I had hoped you thought more of me than that." His arms remained around her, and Lileina smiled as he feigned hurt.
"Perhaps I shall," she said, her cheeks reddening. "But we have only just met…" Valtier nudged her head with his, gently.
"What if I said I was an impatient man?"
"Valtier…"
"Forgive me. I shall not speak of affection any more."
"I didn't say that." Opening her eyes, Lileina was pleased to see that Valtier was, once again, grinning widely, possibly holding back laughter. With a small sigh, she shook her head and closed her eyes again as he leaned on her.
"You truly are wonderful."
The sun went down slowly while they sat together in the valley, simply enjoying one another's company, and neither noticed the position of the sun until it began to redden the sky with its sinking rays. When it was hanging too low to ignore any longer, Lileina and Valtier stood before one another, trying to find a way to say the good-byes that seemed to get harder with each passing day. The only thing that seems to make parting bearable for either was the knowledge that they would meet again as soon as they were able, which seemed to always be the next day.
"I shall see you tomorrow?" Valtier looked hopefully at Lileina, who nodded slowly as she seemed to think about something.
"Yes, after I take care of my duties at the shrine. It seems it is my turn to sweep and fill the lanterns. But I will meet you here, in this field of flowers just after noon. Is that all right?" Her happiness shone brightly on her face, and Valtier nodded at once.
"Of course. I happen to have an early shift tomorrow as well. But I shall meet you here at noon and think of you every moment until we meet again." Gently pressing a finger to Lileina's new brooch, he smiled. "You will be near my heart as always."
"And you in mine," Lileina said, her cheeks coloring as she looked up at him. She wished she knew something she could give him, some sort of keepsake to remember her by until the next day. Her face brightening, Lileina reached into her dress and pulled out a light blue handkerchief, which she pressed into Valtier's hand. "Here. Take this, and let it remind you of my promise until then."
"I will remember," he said, tucking the handkerchief into his vest just over his heart. It was more precious to him than almost anything she could have given him, and he wanted to keep it safe. "But I shall miss you nonetheless."
"And I will miss you." Looking as if she didn't want to leave, Lileina stood before him, trying to think of something to say. Remembering something suddenly, Valtier reached into the other side of his vest and pulled out the wrapped package from the bookseller's cart. "Here's your book, my dear. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed being with you today."
"Thank you…and I shall try my best, but I'm afraid that my memories of my time with you will be sweeter than any poem." Lileina pressed the book to her heart, and smiled at Valtier once more. "I must go. Until tomorrow, Valtier."
"Until then, my dear Lileina." A little sadly, he watched her walk slowly into the trees, holding her new book tightly to her chest. The setting sun was reflected off her shining hair, and as he saw it disappear into the shadows between the trees he felt an almost uncontrollable urge to run after her, to see her face once more before they had to be apart for a whole night. But she was already gone, it seemed, and he looked away from the spot she had left as he began the walk back to the clearing where he transformed. Already, he was missing her.
* * *
Much later that night, Lileina lay in her room looking at the book Valtier had bought for her in the marketplace. She hadn't expected him to do something like that for her, but the more she thought about it, the more she decided it wasn't an altogether bad feeling to have someone care enough to buy her a little gift.
Standing up, she went over to the small bookshelf she had salvaged from the redecoration of the Sanctuary's record hall and gently slid the book into place with the other foreign books she had collected over the years. Some were human, like the one Valtier had bought her, and some were just plain foreign, like the one she had bought from the old man the day she was chosen to lead the cleansing ceremony. But all of them were well loved, and she wouldn't have given any of them away for any sum.
With a smile, she went back to her bed and lay down, taking the brooch Valtier had given her off the bedside table as she did. Looking at it in the light, she watched it sparkle a little. Inside the stone, she could almost see his face smiling at her the way he always did, the way that made her feel as if there was nothing else in the world.
Affection…no, it was more than that. She felt affection for Sorian whenever they had their little whispered talks after ceremonies, and when Sorian gave her a good piece of advice. And she felt affection for Marie and Alicia when they played on her lap and asked her to sing them a song. But what she felt when she simply saw Valtier standing in a clearing, waiting for her, was more than affection. When he held her in his arms, it was like she was flying, soaring through the air without ever leaving the ground. If all she felt for him was affection, then why had she not pulled her body away from his when he embraced her? Why had she not even thought to remove herself from his arms? Could it possibly be that she was falling…
"Lileina, are you awake?" There was a knock at the door, and Sorian poked her head inside without waiting for an answer, as usual.
"Yes, please come in." Smiling, Lileina sat up on the bed waiting for Sorian to come sit beside her.
"It has been a few days since we spoke," Sorian said, closing the door carefully behind her. "And I am glad to say that I haven't heard you cry at all. I suppose that means that you and your human are getting along well?"
"Um…" Unsure of what to say, Lileina watched her friend pour herself a glass of water from the jug on the bedside table before sitting down on the bed. Quietly, she played with her new brooch, wondering what she should say. She wanted to tell her friend what was going on, but…
"Is that a gift from him?" Sorian sat down and motioned to the brooch that Lileina kept turning over and over in her hands.
"Yes. And…he has a name. It is Valtier." Haltingly, Lileina managed to speak his name, but nothing else. As close as she knew that she and Sorian had become in the years they had been together, she wasn't sure if this was something their friendship could handle. After all, Sorian was a little more…conservative in some of her beliefs.
"Valtier? What a strange name for a human." Drinking some of her water, Sorian thought about this. "Well, I'm sure he's handsome. And he would have to be kind to win your heart." She took another sip of the water, then smiled up at her friend. "Anyone you would pick would have to be very kind."
"He is…very kind. And handsome as well…" Clearing her throat, Lileina sighed to herself. If she didn't tell Sorian, she couldn't tell anyone. And she had to tell someone about Valtier or she would explode. "But…Sorian…he isn't a human." Gripping the brooch tightly enough for it to hurt, she looked up at her friend, whose eyes had turned a very odd shade of purple. Sorian's eyes had a tendency to change colors when she was excited, and Lileina looked at her. "Sorian?"
"Is he…at least a dragon?"
"Y-yes, he is…an…um, an Ancient Dragon." There was a crash as Sorian's glass hit the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces. She was staring at Lileina with wide, frightened eyes as Lileina grabbed her hand. "Please, you mustn't tell anyone!"
"Lileina! An…an Ancient? Have you lost your senses completely?"
"He isn't like they say, Sorian. You were right, he is kind, and wonderful and strong. I adore him, and have since even before I knew he was a dragon of any kind. I can't just seal off my heart because of what people think about his race…you understand, don't you? Sorian?" Reaching for her friend's other hand, Lileina tried to smile.
"My sister…" Though her eyes were somewhat blank still, Sorian's voice was strong. "Only you could see the good in anyone, even an Ancient Dragon, despite everything we have been told. You look deeper than the surface…you always have." Taking hold of Lileina's offered hand, she smiled back at her friend. "No, I won't tell your secret. But promise me you'll be careful? I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Nothing bad will happen, Sorian. Valtier would never hurt me, and he would never let anyone else hurt me either. All he wants is to be near me and keep me safe, the same things I want of him. Why does it matter what he is? All I care is that he cares for me." Lileina pressed her lips to Sorian's hands for a moment. "You are a true sister for worrying about me, and a true friend for keeping my secret. If you ever need a favor, I am here for you."
"And I am always here for you," murmured Sorian. Gently, she stroked Lileina's hair with a smile. "I only hope that you will be happy, whatever you choose, and that your Valtier will care for you as much as you seem to care for him. He is very lucky, you know." Standing up, Sorian proceeded to pick up the glass pieces from the floor and wipe up the water she had left with a towel. "Sorry about the mess."
"It's no problem. What do you mean, lucky?" Lileina sat up and watched her friend go to the door and start out into the hall.
"Love like yours is rare, especially in this world. He is lucky to have earned it." With that, she gave her friend one last smile and went out into the hall, while Lileina stared at the door after her in a sort of disbelief.
Love? Who had said anything about love?
* * *
"Nice scarf." Pointing at the blue scrap of cloth sticking out of Valtier's vest, Raen took another bite of his chicken while his dinner companion looked down at the aforementioned 'scarf.'
"It is a handkerchief."
"Nice handkerchief." Raen reached for his beer and drained it in one gulp, then smiled knowingly at Valtier. "A gift from your woman?"
"Perhaps it's time for you to stop drinking," Valtier said, leaning over the table and giving Raen a severe look. "I said I'd buy you dinner, not a brewery." He spoke with some annoyance to the sentinel across from him, thinking that perhaps he had asked the wrong person to switch shifts with him. Valtier had never been terribly fond of Raen, but he knew he was easy to buy off.
"So what's this woman of yours like?" Motioning for a refill, Raen raised an eyebrow at his reluctant benefactor. "Is she beautiful?"
"Didn't I say to slow down on the drinks?"
"Shouldn't have offered."
"I realize that." Sighing, Valtier thought about Lileina a little. "She is very beautiful, and quite intelligent as well. I find myself growing more fond of her with every minute we spend together, although we've only known each other a short while." He was speaking more to himself than to Raen, and tucked the handkerchief back into his vest. "She is…special."
"So who is she?"
"That I cannot say." Valtier gave Raen a sort of smirk that the one under the influence of the most liquor found extremely irritating.
"And why can you not say?"
"Because then you'd try to take her."
"You've got me there."
After spending what seemed like an interminably long time with Raen and paying a bar bill that seriously made him consider arranging a little 'accident' for his fellow sentinel, Valtier finally made it back to his room. Shedding his shirt and vest, he flopped back on the bed and lay back, his hair falling around his shoulders. Gazing at the handkerchief Lileina had given him, he smiled peacefully. It smelled nice, like her skin and wildflowers, and he wondered if she thought about him when they were apart. In the last few days, it seemed as if the only thing he could think about was her.
He had enjoyed being with her the entire day, and was glad that he had taken the chance and put his arms around her. She fit perfectly in his arms…and was so soft and warm…he had never wanted to let her go. Although it seemed as if he had offended her at first by buying her the book and the brooch, it hadn't been his intention to upset her. All he really wanted was to make her smile.
It was rather enjoyable being in the human village, what he affectionately referred to in his mind as 'her world.' He liked watching her talk to the humans and hearing how they called her Lady Lily. Lileina always seemed to be smiling, and for him it would have been like the sun to blink out of existence for her to ever stop. Pulling the sheet over him as he blew out the candle that was near his bed, Valtier closed his eyes. He couldn't wait to see her again.
* * *
"Chief elder," Caiphas said, looking distressed as he walked into the sanctuary, "We have received word from some of our scouts in other parts of the world that Hellmaster is gathering strength. I fear trouble is not far behind, and we should be preparing for the possibility of a war." This was alarming news, since Hellmaster was one of the higher Demon Gods of the world, and the chief elder shook his head.
"We are not a warlike race," he said, walking across the room. "Our people have no real way of battling the demons successfully, and there are sure to be plenty of attacks if Hellmaster is involved in any way."
"At the same time, the Ancient Dragons have rejected our requests to turn over the weapon to us, that we might fight the demons with it," Caiphas continued, folding his arms. "They maintain that it is too dangerous to be released into the world, no matter what the cost."
"Perhaps there is some wisdom in what they say," the elder murmured, looking heavenward. "There is no war yet. We will hold off on our requests for a bit longer, and wait until the situation presents itself to start making demands on the Ancients. Such hasty steps may not even be necessary."
As he walked across the room and knelt before the statue of the Fire Dragon Lord, the chief elder closed his eyes sadly. He truly hoped that there was some other explanation for Hellmaster's actions, but somehow he knew that there could be none and that only tragedy would come out of this in the end. Praying for an answer from the Gods, he hoped that it wouldn't be too much for the Gold Dragons to bear.
* * *
Almost as soon as he landed, Valtier started running towards the field of flowers, transforming even as he ran to the agreed meeting place. Today he was late, thanks to a council meeting that had run over time, and he hoped Lileina hadn't already gone home. Something was squeaking faintly, but he didn't care at that moment. The only thing on his mind was getting to the valley and making sure that Lileina was still there.
Running to the top of the hill, he was relieved to see her kneeling in the field, picking a small bouquet of flowers. He started walking closer and was able to hear her humming a small song as she selected the flowers for her bouquet. For a moment, he stood at the edge of the field, transfixed as his eyes settled on her shining face. She was so patiently waiting for him to appear, completely certain that he would meet her there in the colorful valley, even if she had to wait all day. Unable to speak or even move, Valtier spent more than a minute watching her pick the flowers and hum as she waited for him. He was unable to believe that she would be so very trusting, never thinking for a moment that he could betray her, and this sudden knowledge made him care for her all the more.
"Lileina…" Finally finding his voice, he managed only to say her name before falling silent again.
"Hm?" Turning slowly, a smile spread over Lileina's face as she saw him standing near the flowers, and she stood up slowly with her flowers in hand. The sunlight glinted off the brooch that was pinned safely to her dress and her lavender sash fluttered lightly around her waist as she stood in the middle of the waves of colorful blossoms. "Valtier…" Her eyes shone the color of the sky as she started towards him, and Valtier realized that he was still running as he made his way towards her. Meeting her in only a few moments, he put a hand on her arm as he tried to smile.
"I'm sorry…I was late again. The council ran over time, and I was worried that you were going to leave."
"Leave? Where would I go without you?" Laughing gently, she encouraged him to smile. "I would wait here forever if you said you would meet me here." Lileina held up the little bunch of flowers for him to see. "I was picking flowers for Mrs. Terrana."
"You are so kind, Lileina…" Reaching down, he took a bright pink blossom from the bunch and tucked it into her hair. "You have such a big heart…there's no way anyone could be left out."
"Why should I leave anyone out? I'm happy…I want everyone to feel the happiness that I do." Gently, she patted his chest. "I like your armor."
"My…" Looking down, Valtier realized what had been squeaking. Somehow when he had changed to his human form, his mind had been so preoccupied that he had formed his sentinel's armor over his body instead of the clothes he usually wore when he and Lileina were together. "Damn. I knew I was forgetting something."
"You look very handsome," she said, hugging him tightly in spite of the hard layer that was over his usually warm skin. "Is this really what you wear when you're guarding the Dome?"
"All of us do. I guess I just forgot that it was on, I was in such a hurry to get here. If you like, I can change." Glad that he had at least remembered to pull back his hair, Valtier looked to Lileina for an answer. To his surprise, she shook her head.
"I like it. Maybe…it's not exactly what I would wear every day, but it's kind of a nice change. If it doesn't bother you, I mean."
"You think so?" Once again looking down at his uniform, Valtier frowned a little as he thought about the rather ornate armor that covered his body. He did not see that Lileina was standing up on her tiptoes while he was distracted. "I could probably live without the…" Out of the blue, Lileina interrupted his words as she popped up onto her toes and kissed him, a tiny peck on the cheek that came as a total surprise to him. Staring at her blankly, Valtier pressed a hand to the spot her lips had touched as she smiled. Her cheeks were a little pink, but otherwise she seemed pleased with herself. "Lileina…?"
"A change is nice once in a while, don't you think?"
"Yes…I suppose it is." Still a bit bewildered by her sudden action, he watched as she tied the flowers up with a bow and tucked them into her sash. Her face was bright, as if she had been planning this all along, and he couldn't help wondering what had brought it on all of a sudden.
"Would you like to come with me? To visit Mrs. Terrana, I mean."
"Certainly. But if we're going to be walking through town, I want to change. This armor isn't exactly inconspicuous." Spreading his arms, Valtier motioned to Lileina. "Are you going to watch me?"
"I've never seen an Ancient Dragon before," she said, knowing from her own experience that he would have to change completely to his dragon form before he could change into a human form wearing different clothes. "Unless you don't want me to see you…you know…"
"It doesn't bother me. But I'd stand back if I were you." Valtier waited until Lileina had scooted away and onto the hill before he began his transformation.
As he began to glow, Lileina could see his armor start to fall away and disappear into the growing light, and his mostly naked form was revealed. Lileina, blushing, did her very best to keep her eyes above waist level, but as his hair escaped the ponytail and blew around his shoulders, the light that surrounded him grew brighter until only the vague shape of the man she knew was visible. A moment later, the shape sprouted a pair of huge wings that were such a dark shade of blue that they seemed black, and Lileina watched in a sort of awe as her beloved Valtier disappeared completely into a blinding sphere of light. Raising a hand, she shielded her eyes for a moment as the light was too much to stand. When she opened her eyes again, a huge blue-black dragon was sitting placidly in the place Valtier had occupied, looking at her with a pair of bright golden eyes as if requesting her approval.
The Dragon part of Lileina's self seemed to awaken, and her human form blushed brightly as her eyes fell over every part of his Dragon's form. This was the first time she had ever seen an Ancient, and although there were some small differences in the way he looked compared to her Gold Dragon form they looked basically the same. For some reason, she was amazed by this because she had been taught that the Ancients were so different from them. But as she looked at him, she felt a part of herself straining, as if it were trying to break free.
She wanted to transform, to sit beside him in the flowers and lay her head on his as she had seen other dragons do when they were happy, but before she could, Valtier's form began to shrink and fold back into the human she recognized. This time, Lileina didn't even think about his naked body because she was too busy trying to silence whatever it was in herself that was calling to her.
When the light had disappeared again and Valtier was standing back in his place wearing the clothes she was used to seeing him in, Lileina leapt up and ran over to him, hugging him tightly as she nearly knocked him to the ground. Smiling, Valtier returned her embrace as he tried to hold back a laugh.
"Can I assume that you are pleased?"
"Very much so!" Against his chest, Lileina couldn't stop smiling. "You're so handsome…human or dragon." The longer she held him, the more the urge to transform faded back into her heart, and she hugged him until she was sure that she would be able to control herself. Finally separating herself from his arms, Lileina laughed a little. "I guess we aren't so different after all."
"So when do I get to see you transform?"
"Valtier!"
"Just kidding." Offering her his arm, Valtier smiled at the shocked look on her face. "Come on, let's go see your friend." Lileina gave him a wary look as she took his arm and squeezed it a little.
"Yes, let's."